Street-flusher.



PATENTBD NOV. 12, 1907.

G. H. THBBUS. STREET FLUSHER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1907.

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INVENTOR- WITNESSES A TYORNE Y5 No- 870,700. PATENTED NOV. 12,- 1907;

G. H. THEBUS.

STREET FLUSH'ER'. APPLICATIOY FILED JAN. 10, 1907.

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GEORGE H. TI-IEBUS, OF BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

STREET-FLUSHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed January 10. 1907. Serial No. 351.629.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. THEBUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, in the county of St. Clair and State of lllinois, have invented a new and useful Street-Flusher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to street flushing devices and has for its object to provide means whereby the surface of a street or other thoroughfare may be thoroughly flushed and cleaned without the employment of the usual sprinkling carts or sweeping machines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flushing machine having means for attachment to a hydrant or other source of water supply and provided with a plurality of discharge slots or orifices whereby Water under pressure may be uniformly sprayed over the entire surface of the street.

A further object is to provide a wheeled truck having a nozzle supporting frame pivotally mounted for tilting movement thereon and having means for connection with a hose or water supply. and further to provide auxiliary trucks adapted to sustain the weight of the hose and assist in preventing the same from coming in contact with the ground when the machine is in operation.

A further object is to provide means for controlling the supply of water to the discharge nozzles, and means whereby any particular set of nozzles may be used when desired.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes inform, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a street flushing machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the forward axle and its associated parts. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the auxiliary trucks. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the hollow nozzle supporting frame.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The machine consists of a supporting truck comprising the rear axle 5 provided with traction wheels 6 and the front axle 7 provided with similar traction Wheels 8, said axles being connected by horizontally disposed bars 9 the forward ends of which are bent inwardly and bolted, riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to a flat plate 10.

The plate 10 is mounted on a similar plate 11 secured to the intermediate bowed portion of the front axle 7,-

said plates being secured together by a pivot pin or bolt 12 which pierces said plates and the axle 7 and forms a pivotal connection between the axleand the upper or movable plate 10.

Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the plate 11, as indicated at 13 is a transverse draft bar 15 the opposite ends of which are curved forwardly and downwardly over and in contact with the intermediate bowed portion of the axle 7, the opposite ends of the draft bars being extended laterally beyond the wheels 8 to form bearings 16 for engagement with suitable thills 17 whereby a draft animal may be conveniently hitched to the machine for transporting the latter from place to place.

The draft bar 15 is reinforced and strengthened by a transverse bar 18 which-connects the lateral extensions or bearings 16 and serves to prevent spreading of the latter.

Attention is called to the fact that the draft bar 15 bears against the curved or bowed portion of the front axle 7 so that the forward thrust of the thills will be sustained by said axle, while at the same time permitting the axle to revolve on the pivot 12 when traveling around curves or making short turns.

The rear axle 5 is extended laterally beyond the adjacent traction wheels 6 to form arms or supports 19 for the hollow nozzle supporting frame 20. The

frame 20 is preferably formed of one or more sections of tubing detachably secured together by suitable elbow joints 21, said nozzle supporting frame having its opposite cnds closed and provided with hangers 22 which encircle the arms 19 andform a pivotal connection between the nozzle supporting frame and rear axle of the truck.

The central portion of the nozzle supporting frame 20 extends laterally beyond the main portion of the frame and is provided with a segmental slit or slot 23 through which water is discharged under pressure from a hydrant or other suitable source of supply, indicated at 24, there being similar slits or discharge openings 25 formed in the elbows 21 whereby the water may be uniformly distributed over the entire surface of the street or other surface to be cleaned/ Suitable discharge slots 26 are also preferably formed in the frame 20 between the opposite ends of the frame and the adjacent couplings 21, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Communicating with the central portion of the frame 20 is a pipe section 27 to which is detachably connected one end of a hose or other flexible conductor 28 the opposite end of which is designed for attachment to the threaded nipple of the hydrant 24.

The hose 28 is preferably of such a length that when it is connected to a hydrant or water plug at the corner of one street the adjacent or intersecting streets may be effectually flushed or cleaned without the necessity of carrying a water supply tank on the truck.

As a means for controlling the supply of water to the hollow frame 20 there is provided a main valve 29, there being suitable auxiliary valves 30 operating within the hollow frame 20 so that the water admitted to the discharge orifices on each side of the central discharge orifice may be controlled at will.

By having the valves arranged in this manner after the middle of the street has been flushed or cleaned one of the auxiliary valves 30 may be closed and the other valve opened so that the water may be discharged from one side of the machine when cleaning that portion of the street adjacent the curbing.

The side bars 9 forming the frame of the truck are preferably threaded in suitable couplings 31 secured to the rear axle 5, and extending between the rear axle and the plate 10 is an intermediate longitudinal bar 32 which serves to reinforce and strengthen the truck frame.

Mounted on the rear axle 5 at its juncture with the longitudinal bar 32 is a standard or support 33 the free end or which is bent laterally for attachment to a seat 35 so that the driver may be in a convenient position to control the several valves when the machine is operated.

The seat 35 is supported in horizontal position by suitable brace rods 36 which extend from the seat 35 to the intermediate portion of the bars 9, said brace-rods being riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the side bars 9, as indicated at 37.

As a means for raising or lowering the free end of the nozzle supporting frame 20 there is provided an operating lever 38 the crank arm 39 of which is operatively connected with the free end of the supporting frame 20 through the medium of a link 40 so that by operating the long end of the lever 38 the supporting frame may be raised or lowered at will. The lever 38 is movable over the face of a rack-bar 41 having one or more looking teeth whereby the lever 38 may be locked in ad justed position and thus support the tilting frame at any desired height from the surface of the street.

As a means for supporting the hose 28 these is provided one or more auxiliary trucks 42 which receive the weight of the hose and assist in preventing the same from dragging over the surface of the street when the latter is being flushed.

The axles 43 of the auxiliary trucks are preferably provided with sockets or depressions 44 for the reception of the hose and have suitable clamping members 45 pivotally mounted at 46 on said axles for preventing accidental displacement of the hose.

The free ends of the clamping members 45 are preferably slotted, as indicated at 47 for the reception of suitable clamping nuts 48 whereby the members 45 may be securely locked in adjusted position.

When it is desired to flush or clean the street one end of the hose 38 is attached to the hydrant 24 and the opposite end thereof coupled to the pipe section 27 after which the main valve 29 is moved to open position and the auxiliary valve 30 adjusted so as to regulate the discharge of water at the discharge slots 23, 25 and 26.

After the machine has thoroughly flushed or cleaned the middle of the street one of the auxiliary valves 30 is moved to closed position so as to cutoff thesupply of water and prevent wasting the same when that portion of the street adjacent the curbing is being operated upon.

While the device herein shown and described presents a structure capable of satisfactorily accomplishing the attainment of the ends in view, it will of course be understood that any desired number of discharge nozzles may be employed in connection with the machine and that minor changes in details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed 1. A street flushing device including a truck having front and rear axles and connected by a frame, one end of which is pivotally connected with the front axle, the opposite ends of the rear axle being extended laterally beyond the adjacent wheels of the truck, a hollow frame extending across the truck and provided with a plurality of discharge orifices, hangers depending from the extensions of the rear axle and forming a pivotal connection between the hollow frame and rear axle, a hose connecting the frame with a source of water supply, main and auxiliary valves for controlling the supply of water to the hollow frame, and auxiliary trucks for supporting the hose.

2. A street flushing device including a wheeled truck having front and rear axles, the front axle of which is bowed inter-mediate its ends, superposed plates mounted on the bowed portion of the axle, a frame forming part of the truck and secured to one of said plates, a draft bar secured to the opposite plate and extending over and beyond the bowed portion of the front axle and having its opposite ends bent laterally for connection with a draft device, a hollow frame carried by the truck, a hose connecting the hollow frame with a source of Water supply, and main and auxiliary valves for controlling the flow of water to the hollow frame.

3. A street flushing device including a wheeled truck having front and rear axles, the rear axle being extended laterally beyond the rear wheels, superposed plates mounted on the front axle, a frame forming part of the truck and secured to one of said plates, a draft bar secured to the opposite plate and extending over and beyond the front axle and having its opposite ends bent laterally to form terminal bearings for connectionwith the draft device, a hollow frame extending transversely across the truck and provided with a plurality of spaced discharge orifices, hangers mounted on the opposite ends of the rear axle and connected with the hollow frame, a hose forming a source of communication between the hollow frame and source of water supply, and main and auxiliary valves for controlling the supply of water to the frame. 5

4. A street flushing device including a wheeled truck, a tubular hollow frame mounted on the truck and formed of a plurality of tubular sections united by elbow joints, segmental slots formed in some of the elbow joints, longitudinal slots formed in the tubular sections at each end of the hollow frame, a hose connecting the hollow frame with a source of water supply, there being a segmental discharge slot formed in the middle of the hollow frame at its connection with the hose, and main and auxiliary valves for controlling the flow of water from the water supply to the hollow frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my. own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. THEBUS.

Witnesses FRANK R. DINGES, WALTER B. GRAEBER. 

